Improved car-coupling



.l. w- BOUGHTON.

Car Coupling.

No. 48,787. Patented July '18, 1865 1*. I z wj- NJETERS,PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. B. O

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcno JOHN w. BOUGHTON, or APPLETON, WISCONSIN.

IMPFSOVED CAR-COUPLING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,787, dated July 18,1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. BOUGHTON, of Appleton, in the county ofOutagamie and State of Wisconsin, have made new and useful Improvementsin (Jar-Oouplin gs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the nature, construction, and operationof the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part ofthis specification, in which Figure 1 represents an elevation andpartial vertical section. Fig. 2 represents a plan and partialhorizontal section.

Corresponding letters in each figure IQfvl to like parts.

To enable one skilled. in the branch of industry to which my inventionappertains to construct and use the same, I will proceed to describe it,after stating what I understand to be the requisitions of the case.

Gouplingrailroad-cars with the ordinary pinand-link couplings now in useis frequently a difficult and dangerous operation, owing to thedifferent heights of the cars and the difference in the construction ofboth cars and draw-heads. There have been many attempts to overcomethese difficulties' by using selfcouplings, or coupling which wouldcouple the cars without the assistance of a man going in between them;but, as far as I can learn, there are but few, it any, self-couplingsnow in use in this country, for the simple reason that all fail in someimportant particular.

There are so many difticulties to be overcome in order to get adesirable and practicable selfcouplingwhich would be at the same timecheap, simple, and durable in construction and could likewise be readilyused with the common couplings-that nearly if not quite all fail to comeup to the required desideratum. Self-couplings should work under allordinary circumstances as follows-viz., first, should couple witheaseand certainty; second, should uncouple readily; third, should couplewhen cars are of different heights; fourth, should couple readily withthe common pin-and-link couplings; fifth, be readily arranged so as notto couple, as is sometimes desirable.

I claim to have invented a selfcoupling which will work readily underall of the above circumstances and conditions.

The principle and construction will be seen by reference to the drawingsfrom the following specification, viz:

A, Fig. 1, represents an outward view of the draw-head, showing thepositions of the differentpins and how they are fastened to thedraw-head. A, Fig. 1, represents a vertical section of the draw-head,showing the tumbler and latch.

B B represent the hole in the draw-head.

The latch (represented by O) is pivoted on the pin D and held in placeagainst the rubher-spring J by the pin E, the downward and constantpressure of that spring J keeping the pin E from workingout by themotion or jolting of the cars.

F represents the tumbler pivoted by the movable pin G, meeting the latchabout the middle of the hole in the draw-head.

H represents the link, and H the hole for the pin R in rear of the link.The link, on enterin g the mouth of the draw-head, rises and slides overthe latch O, lifting the tumbler F7 and falling over the latch G. Thetumbler immediately falls in its place, as shown by F, Fig. 1, therebyholding the link fast in the draw-head; and in order to keep the tumblerfrom jolting up by the motions of the cars enough tolet thelinkout, andthereby uncouple the cars, a spring box or rod of the shape shown by IA,Fig. 2, and of the following construction-viz, a short hollow cylinderclosed at one end with a piston put in, then a spiral spring, thenclosed at the other end, allowing the piston to work against thepressure of the spring inclosed-is fastened by a ring and short chain tothe end of the pin G, and by pulling out the piston a ring or bookfastened to the end of it is passed over the end of the pin G, and thespring in the cylinder keeps the ring or hook firmly on the pin, therebypreventing the pin G from working out and at the same time keeps thetumbler from flying up by the jolting motion of the cars; but thetumbler Wlll rise against the pressure of the spring on the-entrance ofthat link into the' mouth of the draw-head, and by itsown weight and thepressure of the spring will be certain to fall in its place, as shown byF.

In order to insure a certainty of the link always entering the mouth ofthe opposite draw-head, it must be kept in a horizontal position in thedraw-head holding the link, and

this is done as follows, viz: In A, Fig. 1, take out the pin G, turn thetumbler over, making it assume the position shown by the redsection-lines by putting the pin Gr through the hole in rear of thefirst in the position as shown byG in Fig. 1, A. The link, as shown bythe red section, cannot fall below a horizontal position, but can belifted up to the top of the draw-head inside and work sidewise enoughfor the necessary play. By putting the pin R in the hole H, as shown inA, Fig. l, in rear of the tumbler and latch, the link is kept fromshoving back in the draw-head on meeting with any resistance. The pin Itis used in only one draw-head at a time, and then in the draw-headholding the link in rear of the link, for the purpose abovestated. Inthe opposite draw-head the pin is left hanging by a chain on the outsideof the draw-head, as it the pin were in the place represented by H, andthe cars should come together violently, either the pin or link would bebent or broken.

In order to uncouple the cars, pull out the pin E from under the latchO, and the latch, by the downward pressure ofthe rubber spring J and byits own weight, falls, as shown by the red lines, under the draw-head.The link will then easily come out of the draw-head.

1t it is desirable to arrange the draw-head so as not to couple, pullout the pin E, let the latch fall, lift the tumbler, and put the pin Ethrough the square hole in the tumbler and over the top of thedraw-head, or shove the link back in the draw-head and then put the pinR in the hole H, Fig. 1.

The pin D is fastened in its place by a bolt I or key in the end of it,and the pins It and E are fastened by chains to the end of the pin D, soas, in case the chains or pins get broken, the pin D can be taken outeasily and the whole taken to the shop for repairs.

On adopting this coupling a railroad company should adopt some standardheight for putting it on the cars, varying not more than three inches,and by making the opening in the mouth of the draw-head (vertically)eight inches the cars will couple when there is four JOHN W. BOUGHTON.

Witnesses EDWARD H. KNIGHT, Oocrnvros KNIGHT.

